


Timeless Farewells

by Zaypay



Series: Side Quests [4]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Child Wild (Linked Universe), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Found Family, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Mild Hurt/Comfort, THE BEST, Time (Linked Universe) is a Good Parent, Time (Linked Universe)-centric, Wild (Linked Universe)-centric, and so is Malon, not a ton of hurt but it hurts like hell, the other boys are here for like one second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:34:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaypay/pseuds/Zaypay
Summary: Whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow. But that parting need not last forever.A not so wild child goes to Lon Lon, and Time and Malon slowly get him to open up.....OrChild!Wild, but with a twist
Relationships: Malon (Legend of Zelda) & Wild (Linked Universe), Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe), Time & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Side Quests [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005042
Comments: 61
Kudos: 295





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I somehow managed to find myself on the Final Fantasy VII side of AO3 (I’ve never played any of the games and have like 0 knowledge on them). I ended up reading A Feather’s Edge by Boomchick. And it was phenomenal. Like seriously, if you just want to read something with absolutely incredible writing and storytelling, read that work. I highly recommend it for basically everyone.
> 
> Anyway, this is just a really long winded way of saying this fic is inspired by that. Not really any warnings besides a tiny, tiny bit of violence at the end, but it's nothing crazy. That's enough from me, let's get into it!

The soft song dedicated to Epona broke the silence of the early morning. Link opened his eye, feeling for Malon beside him but finding her spot empty, still warm. He turned his head into his pillow, breathing in deeply. The light from outside was strange, not bright enough to be light out but not quite dark either. On the cusp of a new day, crisp air raking in fresh feelings. The room was cast in a shade of blue. Link rose slowly, deliberately, slipping on his shoes and walking to the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of milk. He watched Malon stroke Epona’s mane as she sang, stopping ever so often to yawn loudly or whisper to the mare. Link smiled at the sight.

He was about to finish his drink and step outside to greet his wife when an unnatural gust of wind nearly knocked him over. Link steadied himself, hands gripping the edge of the counter for stability, and groaned. Wait no, he didn’t groan, but there certainly was the unmistakable sound of someone in the kitchen with him. His arm instinctively reached for his sword, which was currently in the storage room with “that”. He mentally cursed himself for being so safe, for once.

He walked slowly over to the other side of the table, peeking over and finding a lump of... child? It groaned again, pushing itself up on all fours and shaking its head, golden locks falling from beneath its blue cap. It turned its head, revealing it really was a Hylian child, and they slowly took stock of their surroundings. Their bright blue eyes landed on Link, widened in what looked like fear and surprise, before they jumped up and swiftly saluted. A certain darkness sealing sword nearly falling out of their grasp.

“Link, r-reporting for today’s training, sir.”

━━━O━━━

_ Needless to say, Malon was beyond surprised when she walked into the house and found her husband silently pouring far more milk than was usual for him into a pot and setting it to simmer, with a child sitting quietly at the table. And she was even more surprised when he told her that the boy had literally appeared from nowhere, holding the Master Sword and sharing his name.  _

_ She took a seat on the opposite side of the table and observed him. They certainly looked similar. His eyes were a sharper blue, his tan a little deeper, his hair far more golden. But the similarities were there. She hoped he wouldn’t have as many terrifying stories to tell. That was one similarity she hoped that they’d never have in common. _

━━━O━━━

The child sat steady, unmoving in front of his mug of warm milk. The Master Sword in its sheath across his lap. Across from him were Malon and Link, who shared uneasy glances between each other as they waited for the boy to speak. He didn’t, and never made indication that he would, so Malon cleared her throat lightly.

“Link?” The boy’s eyes snapped to her, unnaturally piercing and obedient. Too much so. Malon drummed her fingers nervously. His ears twitched. “Do you remember how you got here?”

“I- I was training, ma’am, when I b-b-blinked and found myself here,” he reported. 

“Where are you from?” Link asked, unnerved by his demeanor.

“Hateno Village, sir.”

Link turned an eyebrow up. He’d never heard of a Hateno, and he was rather certain he would’ve if one existed. It was also impossible for him to have the sword, that sword. Never mind that Link was still alive and it’d only been a few decades since his adventure, the boy was too young to wield the blade. He should’ve been placed into a sleep, not holding it like he’d owned it for years.

“When did you pull the blade?” Link spouted before realized what he said. The child was unfazed, accustomed to such questioning. It made Link’s stomach turn.

“A few-few months ago sir.”

“And how old are you?”

“Twelve, sir.”

Link’s breath hitched.

“What were you doing training so early in the morning?” Malon asked quietly, changing the subject. The boy’s lips turned down imperceptibly.

“I was... instructed to do so, Ma’am.”

“By who?” Her tone quickly grew hot at the implication.

“My co-.... commanding officer, ma’am.”

“Please, just Malon.”

The child nodded jerkily. Link swallowed.

“Um, well would you like to stay with us for the time being?” He offered. The boy’s eyes widened a bit. “Just until we can find a way to get you home.”

“I- I-,” he stopped abruptly, frowning and cheeks turning red with shame. “Yes, sir.”

Link sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Just Link will do.”

“Yes s- Link,” he said quickly, correcting himself. Link shot Malon a look of concern, which she responded to by gently clapping her hands together. The boy flinched, and her smile fell.

“Would you like to take a tour of the farm while I make breakfast? I’m sure my husband would be more than willing to show you around.” 

His eyes flicked quickly to Link before he nodded. Malon stood, grabbing both of their cups and went into the kitchen to get started, leaving the two Links alone in the dinning room. Link chewed on his lip as he tried to think of what to say, pushing himself to his feet and watching the boy follow immediately, perfectly.

“I think we should start with the track, since that’s the biggest part of the ranch.” He opened the door for little Link as he spoke, letting the boy march out in front of him and wait for Link to take the lead. “I- I um, first came here as a kid, actually. When I was about-“ _your age_ went unsaid, the growing dread at the boy’s existence stopping him from making the comparison. 

“Link?” He said, snapping the older man from his thoughts. 

“Yes”

He hesitated for a moment. “We h-have the same name.”

“We do.”

“Should we perhaps... establish nicknames? For c-convenience?”

Link marveled at the child’s brilliance (or common sense) before grinning and kneeling to his height. He was rather short, even for a 12 year old. “That’s a wonderful idea. Do you know what you want to be called?”

Link could tell he was physically restraining himself from biting his lip or gripping the edge of his uniform, which was already prim and proper after their earlier meeting. Now that Link was able to get a better look at it, he could see it had the insignia of the Royal Family imprinted all over it, on his little cap and the detailing of his tunic. The whole outfit was very militaristic, something the royal guard would wear. Link frowned at the thought.

“My co-commanding officer often c-calls me ‘recruit’. Do you think that is a s-s-suitable name?”

“No,” Link snapped. He regretted it when he saw the boy’s face harden and anxious hands fall behind his back. Like a soldier. “N-no I mean, it’s a- it’s,” Link exhaled and collected his words. “I think we can do better.”

The boy didn’t respond, only nodding and staring off over Link’s shoulder. He felt a seed of anger start to bloom.

“How about you stick with Link and you can call me... Time.”

“...Time?” Link questioned. Time nodded, smiling. He stood and began walking, gesturing for the boy to follow as he led him to the tower at the far corner of the ranch.

“It’s a title I earned a long time ago. After I helped the princess. Well, now queen.”

“Zelda?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t speak and Time suddenly worried he’d said something wrong, but he eventually broke his silence.

“Like the hero.”

Time stopped with his hand on the door and turned to Link. His eyes were wide, filled with fear, scared that he’d done something wrong and ready for whatever consequence he’d suffer. Time hated that look, and hated that he was the one who caused it. He pushed open the door.

“Yes, just like the hero.”

The two made their way up the stairs and to the window that overlooked the entirety of the ranch. From there, Time could make out the sun halfway over the horizon, brightening up the land with beams of light. Time loved the sight, he rarely missed it after seeing it for the first time outside of the Kokiri Forest. Besides Malon’s presence, it was his favorite thing to wake up to. He heard a small gasp and saw Link’s bright blue eyes sparkling with the early morning light. They almost seemed to well up with tears for a second before the boy quickly blinked and schooled his face into the same neutral expression he’d been wearing since he first arrived. Time didn’t miss the way his fingers twitched for the windowsill, almost begging to reach out and grab the sun.

The rest of the day passed by much the same as the morning, Link following Time around the ranch, silently nodding in acknowledgement as the older man showed him different things. The stable, the barn, the main house, the entrance, the gate. He never asked any questions of made any comments, bobbing his head in a curt manner and nothing more. Time tried not to get too frustrated with his lack of enthusiasm or austere nature, but it was hard not let himself wallow in anger at his clearly taught restraint. 

Malon called them in for breakfast, and a brief lunch, after which Time left Link to his own devices and set about the work he’d delayed to show the boy around. Milking the cows was not his favorite task but it needed to get done. He set the bucket under the cow and began the process, thinking back to his own childhood and trying to remember how he felt. Fear, was the first word that came to mind, mostly at how new everything was. How big and frightening the monsters were, monsters a 9 years old should never have fought. While Link was a little older, he was still a child. But his fear wasn’t towards anything inherently malicious or evil, but towards Time and to an extent, Malon. He realized he hadn’t seen the boy smile once, not even crack a small grin. Every emotion he’d shown was brief and quickly reigned in, replaced with a cold mask that was just as brittle as the one Time used to wear. He wondered who gave him his mask. Whoever it was was in store for an ass-

“Sir?” Link’s voice called from the entrance to the barn. Time turned his head and saw him standing nervously with a basket of fruits in hand. He’d swapped out his pristine outfit for a simple oversized blue shirt, keeping on his brown pants. Luckily, he left the sword behind, probably in the room Malon lent him in the main house. He gestured vaguely to the basket. Time waved him over, watching him step carefully with his white boots and handing the basket over to the older man. Time took it gratefully, shooting him a warm smile which the boy accepted with another one of his nods. He stood stock still as Time rifled through the contents, and didn’t move even after he was handed an apple, staring at it with a blank expression.

“You can eat it,” Time said. Another nod and then a small bite. He stopped, waiting for another command. Time pushed down the rising anger at his chest. “Finish it off.”

Link accepted the command and ate the rest quickly, hungrily, like it would be his last meal of the day. Time turned the pear over in his hand before putting it back in the basket. He lost his appetite.

“Sir?”

“Just Time, Link.” He hated the title. “What is it?”

“Do you require any as-... assistance?” His grip on the apple tightened. “N-Not that I don’t think you c-can’t do this yourself, I only wanted to help, if possible.”

Time would rather the boy rest after what must’ve been a strange, stressful day, but he could tell he was itching to do something.

“Sure, do you know how to milk a cow?”

Link hummed a yes and moved to take a place on the stool next to Time. He reached out and began the process while Time watched in surprise as he worked.

“Where’d you learn?”

“My mother,” he replied promptly. “We used to live on a farm b-before we moved to Hateno.”

Again with that village. “Where is Hateno? I’ve never been there before.”

Link thought silently for a moment. “East Necluda, a-about a h-half days ride at full pace from Fort Hateno. A week away f-from Central Hyrule.” His voice was clipped, short, falling back into report mode. Time pinched his eyebrows, both out of confusion and concern for the boy. More places he’d never heard of and unexplainable things. A child wielding the Master Sword, a kingdom of Hyrule with places he didn’t know, signs that he was trained as a soldier. Time was starting to reason that this must be the work of the goddess, sending a hero from either the past or the future (he opened it wasn’t the future) to his time for... some inexplicable reason. He realized he’d been quiet for far too long when Link stopped milking and stared at him, bucket full of milk in hand. Time grabbed the bucket and moved to the next cow, Link followed dutifully.

“What do you do for fun?” Time asked, wanting to here the boy talk about things beyond just facts.

“Train.”

Time grimaced. “Do you like wielding a sword?” Time did, or he used to, but he eventually grew tired of the familiar weight, the familiar motions, the familiar sight of bodies and monsters. The boy’s expression was unreadable.

“N- not particularly,” he whispered, ashamed. “But I- I w-will do my duty to the kingdom. The k-king has already informed me of my task, and I will- I will give everything to stop the C-Ca-Calamity, including my-“

“Stop,” Time demanded. Link’s mouth snapped shut, but his hands continued moving, shaking slightly as they did. Time didn’t want him to finish the sentence, nor did he want to entertain the thought of him... He noticed Link’s face burning bright red and eyes brimming with tears.

“Link.” The boy quickly turned to him and tried hard to hide his blush. “Do you have trouble... speaking?”

For the first time, Link broke eye contact, looking down at the floor like he wanted to melt into a puddle. Time almost didn’t notice when his head moved up and down, golden hair hiding his face. Time felt a sad grin creep onto his face, remembering his own struggles as a child. He put a hand on his shoulder and waited for Link to collect himself enough to look up.

“Do you know sign language?”

Link stared for a second and shook his head.

“Would you like to learn?”

His face brightened with enthusiasm. He nodded. Time felt his own heart soar.

━━━O━━━

_ “Link, honey,” Malon said, peeking her head around the corner. Time’s eye landed on her. _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Come look at this.” _

_ He gave her a wry smile and pushed himself out of the chair, making a show of stretching every limb. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrists impatiently, leading him down the hallway to Link’s tempora- no, his room. She didn’t like to think it wouldn’t be his forever. She slowly pushed opened the door and let her husband in, silently instructing for him to not say anything as he entered. He stepped in and she almost burst out laughing when she saw the way his jaw dropped at the sight. _

_ Link was sitting on his bed slightly disgruntled, hands folded on his lap and contrasting against his bright green Kokiri tunic Malon had ‘accidentally’ left on his dresser that morning. She didn’t actually except him to wear it, but she was more than pleased that he did. His long hair was tied in a sloppy ponytail that she’d definitely have to fix when they were done with their little show, but the extra work was worth seeing her husband’s reaction. Time covered his mouth his hand. _

_ ‘What, do I look look that bad?’ Link signed. Time shook his head. _

_ “No you look... familiar.” _

_ ‘I look like a weirdo.’ _

_ That made both of the adults laugh. _

_ “Well I for one,” Malon said as she adjusted his hat lovingly, “think you look absolutely adorable, fairy boy.” _

_ Time sighed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “It’s a unique look I’ll give you that.” _

_ Link grinned one of his tiny, but genuine grins that Malon savored every time.  _

_ ‘Thanks, dad.’ _

_ And neither Time nor Malon could stop themselves from hugging him. _

━━━O━━━

Three weeks passed and much changed. Time’s sign language lessons with Link were progressing well: the boy was a natural leaner and picked it up quickly. Him and Malon also signed every time they spoke, making it easier for him to learn the basics. He was easily able to hold a simple conversation, and it made Time prouder than he could ever imagine.

Clothes were an issue, at first. Link refused to wear anything but his uniform the first few days, but it soon became far to restricting for farm work, especially since he continued to insist he pitch in wherever he could. When he presented Link with a bright blue tunic, pants and brown boots, he thought he almost saw the boy laugh, but he instead gave Time his first smile and thanked him profusely.

And most nights, the three of them would eat dinner together, recounting their days and then listening in awe as Time retold a few, mostly watered down, versions of his adventure. While Malon listened with a knowing gleam in her eyes, Link was absolutely enraptured with every detail of every tale, never failing to make Time smile with his enthusiasm. Link had opened up a lot more since he came to the ranch. He’d lead the boy back to his room, teach some more sign language, before blowing out the candle after one last, long look at the Master Sword. And he’d fall into Malon’s loving embrace, feeling the warmth of pride and pure love as fell asleep with Link’s smiling face and his hands signing ‘dad’ still on his mind. 

But not every night. Tonight, Time found that memories of a land doomed to three days and a well kept him up. And on nights like that, not even Malon’s arms or Link’s happiness lulled him to sleep. So he made his way to the top of the hill on the side of the ranch, sighing when he got to the top and sitting down in the grass. The air was still but far from quiet, with the chirping of crickets and buzzing of cicadas ringing about. The clouds didn’t move, blocking the moon. Time leaned back and closed his eyes, relishing in the peaceful chaos of the wild. Until the distinct sound of shouting caught his attention.

Time sat up and listened again, waiting to hear. The same sound came again, not as loud this time, from the patch of fruit trees Malon had planted a few years ago, east of the track. Time got to his feet and made his way over, climbing over the fences that enclosed the ranch and into the little fruit patch. The shouts had stopped on his way there, and now the only sounds were grunts from exertion. And he soon found Link, twirling the Master Sword in hand, sweat dripping off his young face. His movements were swift, beautiful, restrained but deadly. He fought like a soldier. But he was too young to be one. 

“Link,” Time called, stopping the boy in his tracks. He lost his balance and fell over onto his backside, grimacing as he did. His head whipped to Time, fear and worry in his eyes that Time had thought had left him. His breathing quickened as he brought up his hands to sign.

‘ _I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I was T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G_ ,’ he signed, fingerspelling the last word he didn’t know the sign for yet. 

“It’s ok, I’ve been up for a while.” Time moved slowly towards Link and sat beside him on the ground. He put the Master Sword back into its sheath. Time thought he saw the blade pulse bright blue before it was hidden away. He sighed as it did , feeling the tension that’d built at just the sight of it fade away. “Why are you training?”

‘ _I do every night_.’

Time paused. “For how long?”

Link looked up at the moon longingly and shrugged. He actually looked a lot more relaxed, a lot younger. More like an actual 12 year old.

“Do you miss home?”

Link swallowed hard and nodded. ‘ _A lot. I have a sister, back in H-A-T-E-N-O. I miss her. A lot. And M-I-P-H-A_.’

“Who’s Mipha?”

Link blushed hard, turning his face away. ‘ _Friend_ ,’ he signed quickly. Too quickly. Time smiled mischievously.

“Oh really? I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”

Link gasped loudly and shook his head. ‘ _Friend! Friend!_ ’

Time watched his hands, mocking deep attention nodding his head and stroking his chin. “Yes girlfriend, girlfriend, I see.”

“F-f-friend!” Link shouted, fingerspelling the word as he did. Time chuckled and slapped the boy on the back warmly.

“Alright alright, I get it.” Link huffed playfully and grinned slightly. “Tell me about her.”

‘ _She’s nice. Really kind. She’s a_ ,’ he paused, thinking, ‘ _Zora_.’ Time’s eye widened in surprise that he knew the sign. 

‘ _My best friend_.’ His smile grew. ‘ _I love her_.’

Time rubbed soothing circles on the boy’s back and felt Link lean into his side. He felt the steady rise and fall of his back beneath his palm. And Time wished he could preserve that moment forever.

“I get it.” Time said lowly. He considered telling him a story, and resolved to do it. “You know, I knew a Zora once.”

Link hummed in acknowledgment and laid down in Time’s lap, eyes closed and face turned up to the sky.

“I helped free her patron deity from a curse.”

A more surprised hum came from the kid. Time huffed in amusement.

“She got eaten by him. This big fish thing. Then I rescued her and we got engaged.”

Link’s eyes fully opened at that, staring in bewilderment.

‘ _You what?!_ ’

“I got engaged.”

‘ _So your telling me that your first date_ ,’ his hands shook as he tried to keep a straight face, ‘ _with your fiancé was inside of a giant fish that was actually her god?_ ’

Time nodded sagely. “Best place to take your girlfriend, hands down. And just wait until I tell you where I took Malon first time around.”

And then he heard it. First a snort, and then full blown laughter, coming from Link’s mouth. His eyes were closed, brimming with tears, as he laughed in his lap. And Time thought his heart might explode with joy at the sound of it.

━━━O━━━

_ The world seemed a little duller now. The mornings weren’t as bright, never as loud, never as warm. It felt like a piece of her soul had been ripped out, and she knew it’d heal eventually, but never completely. Time- Link now— there was no use for nicknames anymore— never spoke about him. His seat at the table stayed empty, even if it meant they could sit closer to each other if they’d sat in it. The extra room stayed untouched, and it took several months and Link being called to the castle for a meeting with the Queen for Malon to finally work up the courage to enter. _

_ Nothing had changed. His cap still hung on the wall, the dark blue shining in the sunlight. His bed neatly made, like he’d just done it that morning before he set out to help around the ranch. His white boots that he only wore when they went to Castletown were placed next to a few cleaning supplies. The only difference she noticed from the last time she’d been inside was the layer of dust that sat on top of everything. Malon moved to the desk, where a pile of papers sat, untouched. She grabbed them and made her way to sit on the bed, reading what was written in rough cursive. _

..................

_ Dear Malon, _

_Happy birthday! Time told me it was coming soon, so I wanted to write you this letter just thanking you for everything, because ~~your great~~ you’ve done so much for me over the past 3 months.  ~~I wish I could do more~~ I don’t ever have a way of repaying you, but I hope this letter and the gift I’m making will be enough. _

_ I love you. _

_ ~Link _

..................

_ She dried her eyes uselessly and carried on. _

..................

_ Dear Mipha, _

_ I miss you. I wonder if you’ll get this letter, and if you do, I just wanted to tell you how much I wanted to see you again. Time and Malon have been great, they’re basically my family. You’d love Malon, she’s like you but more... fiery?  _

_ Hm this letter isn’t good, I’m going to redo it. _

..................

_ Malon chuckled but it came out as a broken, choked sound. She read the next. _

..................

_ Dear Time, _

_Thank you. For everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you. ~~I never thought I’d be hap- I was scared when we first met. You reminded me so much of my fa- my commanding~~_

_You’re one of the best people I know, ~~and when I leave,~~ and when I grow up I want to be just like you. Strong and brave, but still kind. I want to be like Malon, fearless and always loving. ~~I hope I never have to leave~~ I hope we’ll meet again, if I ever have to leave. I’ll miss you both if I do. But I don’t think that time is coming soon, so just take this as a thank you note._

_ ~Link _

_.................. _

_ Malon set the papers down beside her and pressed a hand to her mouth. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t, but he- _

_ She sobbed, feeling the wound that had just started to heal burn like it wasn’t even closing. Link was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.  _

━━━O━━━

“Goddess, is this fucking kingdom endless?” Legend complained as he dragged his feet forward. Twilight crossed his arms as he waited for them to catch up.

“What are you a fucking old man, vet? Get moving!” Wind shouted, marching forward while Warriors chuckled. Sky shot the sailor a glare at his language.

“Sorry I don’t go on hikes every fucking day.”

Warriors scoffed. “Even Time can move faster than you.”

Time blinked at his name but didn’t acknowledge the statement. Time. His nickname. For the Hero of Time. It was familiar enough, something he’d been called before. But hearing it from their mouths, hearing it said so trustingly, with so much warmth. It reopened a wound he’d thought had already healed, or at least been stitched together, however haphazardly.

“Are we close Pup?”

Twilight looked at the glowing blue tower and narrowed his eyes. “We should be just an hour or two away from Kakariko, if I remember right. We just got to keep up this pace and then-“

“Excuse me!”

Eight heads swiveled in the direction of the new voice. A traveler came bounding up the road, stopping when they were just a few steps away from Four and bent over panting.

“Sorry to... bother... you,” they said in between breaths. They finally stood up and smiled brightly. “But would any of you be interested in purchasing bananas?”

“Bananas?” Sky asked, curious. 

“Yes! I’ve got all kinds, mighty bananas, yellow bananas, green bananas, blue bananas...” they went of listing the multiple types of bananas they had (most of which Time didn’t even know existed) while Sky and Hyrule listened, engrossed. Time wasn’t sure why, but his fingers itched to wrap around his Biggoron Sword.

“Yup! And all proceeds go to the dark lord, Ganon of course!”

The group of Links paused. The world seemed to stop.

“And so will your he-!” They began, but an arrow suddenly lodged itself in their thigh. The not-traveler gasped in pain, eyes searching the tree line wildly for whatever shot them. And when they spotted it they vanished in a puff of smoke, never to be seen again, leaving behind a pile of bananas and some rupees, which Wind and Hyrule quickly snatched up.

“You guys alright?”

Time’s heart stopped at the voice. A little deeper than he remembered, but the same. He traced it to a hooded figure dinning a blue tunic and holding a golden bow. The rest of the group went on the defensive and unsheathed their swords. They held up their hands in peace.

“Woah, c-calm down there. Don’t mean harm, right?” The approached slowly, face still hidden.

“You with that creepy assassin guy?” Four asked hotly, eyes blazing blue. They shook their head.

“No. They’re Yiga. Worship C-Calamity Ganon.” They spat that last word out like it personally offended them. 

“Hm,” Twilight took a tentative step forward and let his sword fall back into its sheath. “We’re looking for the hero. His name is Link. Does that ring a bell about anyone or...?”

The figure startled slightly, stood sharply still, before laughing. Time stopped breathing when he heard it. The same laugh, his laugh. Like cold water on a hot day. Refreshing, cooling, welcomed.

“Link?”

They pulled down their hood. Golden hair framed a tan face and bright blue eyes. No cap covering his hair or sharp guards uniform that didn’t belong on a boy that young. Scars stretching across his left side. He smiled and held up his hands.

‘ _At your service_.’

━━━O━━━

_ She heard Time’s voice and ran out to greet him, being lifted by his arms into a spin. She laughed lightly before pressing a kiss firmly onto his lips. She turned to the others. _

_ “Well, didn’t realize we’d have company. Nice to see you boys again.” _

_ They greeted her enthusiastically, bombarding her with complaints about Time and each other. She giggled at their bickering and noticed a new presence, face hidden by bright blond hair. _

_ “See you picked up a new one.” His ears twitched in acknowledgment. “What’s your name hun?” _

_ He looked up and met her eyes. Link. _

_ ‘Wild,’ he signed. _

_ She ran and nearly tackled him in a hug. _

_ “Welcome home.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, good to see you again. That was long, very long, and it honestly could've been longer because there was so much I wanted to write, which is why it’s not in my oneshot series. If you couldn't tell, I kinda got carried away while writing this, just pouring out everything in my brain :)
> 
> But thanks for reading!! I really love the child wild fics, and that FF fanfic really got me emotional, so why not write something myself? 
> 
> Till next time...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short while... that is up to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use a random word generator whenever I want to write something but don’t know what. That’s how I started writing the first chapter, I got ‘farewell’ as one of the words and ran with it. This one was 'wheat', which I used pretty literally but it also just helped me get the general vibe of the chapter. Because man I just love imagery.
> 
> That’s beside the point. Which is, second chapter!! I honestly wasn’t expecting so many people to like the first one, but I’m glad you all did. I run by the principle of ask and you shall receive, and people asked, so I wrote a second and possible third chapter. We’ll see. Enough from me, let’s start.

_Gold stretched as far as he could see, made even brighter by the dawn’s light. Link ran his hand through the wheat as he walked through carefully, following his father’s path through the field. He breathed in, smelling the freshness of the wilds, feeling a smile find its way onto his face. It felt nice, and it was made even better by the presence of the man in front of him. His father stopped in his tracks, and so Link followed, stopping a short distance away as well. _

_ “So,” the older man said, a smile clear in his voice, “what do you think?” _

_ “It’s,” he said using his voice before resorting to his hands, ‘breathtaking,’ he finished honestly. Birdsong and deep humming was music in the air. Link closed his eyes and listened, the joy in his heart growing with every passing second. A gentle hand landed on his shoulder before making its way to run through his hair lovingly. A sudden embrace surprised him, but he melted into his arms without hesitation. _

_ “You’re a good kid,” his father whispered, his voice somewhat shaky. “The best.” _

_ Link nodded against his back, making the motion exaggerated so he knew how he felt. _

_ “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” _

_ Link bit his lip. He didn’t like hearing his voice like that, unsure and anxious. It reminded him of the first time they met, or before he came here, of his own voice when speaking with- _

_ He hugged his father tighter, pushing away the thoughts that came to mind._

_ "You'd k-keep living," he said quietly. _

_ His father sighed. "I know, but it'll be hard. I'll miss you." _

_ “l-love you, dad,” he whispered, willing himself to find the courage to make his voice steady. His father chuckled warmly, sending a wave of happiness through the boy. _

_ “I-“ _

“Wild!”

He immediately sprang to his feet, sword in hand, ready to fight whatever monster got close enough. But he realized there was no ongoing battle, or at least, whatever battle had occurred was already over. He whipped his-

No, that movement was swiftly stopped by the pounding pain in his head that nearly sent him stumbling forward. He leaned against the cliff-face he didn’t even realize was beside him and slowly took in his surroundings. Four was keeping an eye on Legend, checking off a list as he rifled through a bag beside the bedridden veteran, whose eyes blazed with adrenaline. By the way Hyrule kept shooting glares at Legend, he had been forcibly restrained to the bedroll and Four was his guard. Hyrule was busy casting his pink healing magic on Wind’s arm while instructing Sky how to properly bandage Warriors’s leg wound. Twilight and Time were nowhere to be found. 

“Wild,” the voice, Warriors, repeated, shooting the champion a concerned look. “Alright?”

Wild made to nod but stopped, remembering the pain. He gave the captain a simple thumbs-up, which didn’t satisfy him, and made his way to the thrown-together fire. He sighed as he sat down heavily, feeling every muscle in his body scream as he did. He was beyond sore, and his head was killing him. Wild ignored it, focusing on getting out his Sheikah Slate to write. The memory was still fresh in his mind, but he knew from experience that wouldn’t last. The longer he waited, the less he’d remember. The window for recollection was small and Wild was not about to miss it because of a stupid headache. 

So he set about writing every minute detail he could remember, tapping feverishly into the device, occasionally stopping to listen to the inane conversation around him or blink away the stars in his eyes. The voices of the others meshed together, bouncing off the walls of the canyon and merging into one. Wild stopped for a second, closing his eyes and just listening. If he focused hard enough, he thought he could hear it. The chirping of birds or buzzing cicadas, his father’s voice-

“Wild.”

He opened his eyes, staring blearily into the flames for a moment before turning to meet a single, piercing eye. Time.

“Are you still up?”

Wild pinched his eyebrows together, confused, and looked up at the sky. It was dark when it wasn’t just a minute ago. His slate sat untouched in his lap, the others, including a rather worn Twilight were asleep in their bedrolls and the fire burned low. The only ones actually awake were Time and Wild. How had the time passed so quickly?

‘ _Yea, I guess so_ ,’ he signed, trying to keep his hands steady. ' _Where's Twi?_ '

Time lightly turned in his head in the direction of the farmhand, who was fast asleep next to Warriors, holding his sword tightly.

' _Good_.' Exhaustion weighed down his signs, but not his eyes, which found the wound Time had received earlier after pushing him out of the path of an arrow. He clenched his jaw at the sight of the piece of cloth tied loosely around the wound. ‘ _How’s your arm?_ ’

Time shrugged, or tried to, but almost gave a pained wince at the movement. “Fine.”

Wild swallowed the lump in his throat and produced bandages from his Slate, holding them up and pointing to Time’s arm. The older man said nothing, just giving him a resigned look and readjusting himself on the spot he’d taken beside Wild. The champion lifted his sleeve, grimacing at the sight of the wound. He decided to clean it first, dousing water from his waterskin on his arm before he started to wrap it, careful not to apply too much pressure.

“You’re quite good at this.”

Wild shrugged, hands preoccupied with the task at hand. Time continued.

“Did you teach yourself?”

He huffed in annoyance, looking up from under his eyebrows to shoot Time a glare. He was distracting. The older hero made no facial expressions but continued to watch Wild work.

“Sorry.” 

The champion stopped, finished, and let his hands fall to his side. He stared at the bandages, feeling something in his stomach turn.

‘ _Why’d you take the arrow?_ ’

“Do you have any food in your Slate?” Time asked, ignoring his question, and instead started taking off his things. Wild scoffed quietly but nonetheless looked through his slate, pulling out two meat skewers for them to eat. Time took it thankfully.

‘ _Why’d you take the arrow?_ ’ Wild tried again as they ate. Time stared at his skewer, deep in thought.

“Would you have rather I let you get hit instead?”

‘ _Yes_ ,’ he signed without hesitation. ‘ _I would’ve preferred that_.’ Wild knew his role in the group. He wasn't the leader or the healer or the strategist. He was just the cook who sometimes happened to have more supplies on him than necessary. He was the one with nothing to his name and no one to remember him by or worry for him. He wasn't like Time with a budding family and guaranteed descendants. He didn't have anything to protect anymore, besides Zelda and whatever was left of his Hyrule. He should be the one taking the arrow, not Time. It made sense, and he reasoned he would probably not feel like such an asshole if he had. Wild tapped the screen of his slate nervously while watching Time stare at the flames with rivaling intensity.

‘ _You never told me why you took it._ ’

Time finished his skewer and tapped the stick against his knee rhythmically. “What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Wild raised an eyebrow, not at all expecting that question. ‘ _I’m not a kid you know_.’

“You’re 17.”

‘ _117_ ,’ he corrected, and immediately regretted when he saw an odd look of hurt flash across Time’s face. His features were immediately schooled back into the stoic expression he was used to.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you are not _technically_ ,” he emphasized that word, “an adult. So, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?”

‘ _Doesn’t matter_ ,” he signed flippantly.

“It really does.”

‘ _Does it?_ ’

“Wild-“

‘ _I’ve already done my duty to the kingdom, I’ve “saved the day”, or whatever the hell I did when I beat Ganon the second time_ ,’ he paused there, hands shaking with slowly rising anger. ‘ _What more do I need to do? What other tasks does she want me to do, because I’d rather do it now than later. I’m sure you understand. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of time to settle down and do whatever the fuc-‘_

“Wild.” Time’s voice was firm and his expression ice. Wild’s hands stopped moving mid-sentence. "There's more to life than just... being a hero."

' _Sure_.'

The older man stared at him for a while before conceding with a slow, exhausted exhale.

“Fine, then what did you think would happen if I let you get shot instead?” Time asked, his tone daring. 

‘ _I’d be hurt and you’d be alrigh_ t.’

Time leaned back, raising an eyebrow. “And how is that any better than the situation we’re in now?”

Wild’s face twitched with irritation. He was so goddess damned stubborn. ‘ _Because It doesn’t matter what happens to me, as long as your ok_.’

Time froze like something Wild said was surprising. The champion rolled his eyes, trying to brush off the oppressive feeling of Time’s presence. It wasn’t something he was familiar with, and he doubted he ever would be. The man was intimidating, terrifyingly so, and it made Wild’s heart pound ever time he saw him. Every time he accidentally wandered off from the group of gotten hurt. Every time he was regarded with that disappointed look that he knew was supposed to make him feel bad, feel guilty, but it sent a shard of ice through Wild’s heart that was unexplainable. Unbearably painful. He hated the look, he hated disappointing Time, and he hated how he didn’t understand why he felt so strongly about it.

“Do you...” Time began trailing off. His fingers twitched for something. “Do you really believe that?” He asked, voice breaking at the end. Wild looked down at his hands, down at the Slate where the memory of his past was being recorded. A past he couldn’t, for the life of him, remember. No matter how hard he tried to make the memories come back, they never did.

‘ _Why wouldn’t I?_ ’

The silence was deafening, almost painful, but it was eventually broken when Wild stood abruptly, unable to take anymore.

‘ _I think I’ll head to sleep. Good night_.’ He began walking to the other side of the camp, his heart pounding in his ears as he did.

“Wild.”

The champion stopped and turned slowly. His eyes fell on Time, whose gaze was focused on his shaking hands. His voice was so low and soft he almost didn’t hear what the older man said.

“It matters to me,” he whispered. 

Wild chewed on his lip, unsure of what to say. He eventually just nodded and lied in his bedroll, not able to fall asleep.

━━━O━━━

_ “ I still can’t believe you're married,” Legend said as he forked over his handful of rupees to Warriors. Time said nothing, smiling. _

_ “I did tell ya not ta bet, didn’t I?” Twilight said smugly. Legend glared at the farmhand. _

_ “You could’ve told me you knew already!” _

_ “Eh, didn’t think it was that important.” _

_ Warriors chuckled and slapped a hand on Legend’s back, sending him stumbling forward and seething. “Just remember not to bet against me, alright?” _

_ Legend stomped off to Hyrule muttering something about cuckoos and bets under his breath. Time shook his head gently while he listened to their banter, only occasionally sparing the group a glance before returning to the painting in his sketchbook. He turned his head up to the stars that still hung silly in the early morning sky, remembering their formation before looking back down with a smile on his face. Malon was probably looking at the same sky, wondering when he’d return.  _

_ He already sent her letters about the new group he was traveling with and paid the inter-dimensional mailman double to get his mail to her quickly after they met their final member. He could still feel the excitement, joy, and relief of finally finding him again. His flicked to Wild, who was smiling eagerly as Wind regaled him with a tale from his adventure. Time’s smile grew. Even in spite of the revelation that he wasn’t the same boy from 5 years ago, that he had gone through so much in his time away, that he didn’t remember- _

_ He felt a tap on his shoulder and met Wild’s eyes, slight irritation and regret lingering from their talk last night. He held out a plate of food. _

_ ‘Want some?’ _

_ Time felt his voice catch in his throat at signs. He nodded and accepted the food. Wild hummed as he did and turned away. Time devoured the food, savoring every bite. He definitely didn’t learn to cook from him. He’d have to thank Malon for that. _

━━━O━━━

Wild set down the tray in the oven, closing it and setting the timer on his Slate for 45 minutes. He wiped his hands on his apron, grimacing when almost none of the flour came off. A laugh from the hallway just outside of the kitchen caught his attention. He spotted Malon leaning against the door frame, smiling fondly at his struggles.

“Need some help cleaning up?” 

Wild nodded sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed. Malon only gestured for him to follow her out of the house to a water pump tucked away in the far corner of the ranch. The rest of the group were split up among different tasks, with the only ones being outside in the track being Twilight and Warriors who were tending to some of the horses. Wild felt the morning dew cool his skin and inhaled deeply, feeling more awake and relaxed than usual. 

“Here,” Malon said, handing him a towel. “I’ll pump the water and you can clean yourself. I’d let ya do it inside, but...” her grin widened as Wild realized what she meant. He’d just get dirty again since the kitchen was a mess. He blushed lightly.

_‘Sorry about that_.’

She waved her hand casually. “It’s no problem, hun. Nothing I’m not used to.” She added that last part with a nostalgic glint in her eyes. “Here, I can pump some water for you.”

She brought the handle up and down, releasing a small flow from the faucet into the bucket. Wild dipped his hands in, cleaning them of the flour before washing his arms and face and drying them with the towel. And as he did, Malon sang.

It was a simple, breezy song that fit with the mornings and the ranch. It was beautiful, coming from her lips. It was sweet and gentle. Like a morning breeze, like-

_‘ -a fairytale,’ he signed, unable to keep the excitement from his hands. She grinned down at him, lifting him into the counter with one sweep of her arms._

_ “How so?” _

_ He tapped his chin in thought. ‘It’s really pretty, simple and nice, a little sad in the middle, but has a happy ending.’ He paused and looked out the window. His father was leading the mare around, whispering lovingly into her ear. ‘All fairytales have a happy ending.’ _

_ She chuckled, her bright hair wrapping around her like a flame, warm and protective, but never harmful. She tapped his nose, leaving a dot of cake batter at the tip. He frowned playfully before tasting it. It was really good. _

_ ‘A fairytale for my fairy boy, then,’ she grinned.  _

Wild blinked. 

“Did you catch that?” Malon asked, her smile dropping to be replaced by a look of concern. “Wild?”

“I-I-“ his mouth opened and closed before stopping. ‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t...’ he didn’t bother finishing, unsure of what to say.

"A memory?" she sounded hopeful, painfully so. Wild nodded reluctantly.

“It’s alright,” she soothed, an oddly sad smile on her face. “Need any help with dinner?”

Wild swallowed, trying to keep the fleeting memory in mind as he nodded. ‘ _Yes please_.’

━━━O━━━

_ Time lied down in bed, face staring blankly at the ceiling above. His arm still hurt, but at least it wasn’t getting infected anytime soon. He had Wild to thank for that. _

_ “Link?” Malon called from the doorway before she entered. He sat up as she sat beside him. “Need help with the wound?” _

_ Twilight must’ve told her. He was far too caring for his own good. “Sure.” _

_ He rolled up his sleeve and Malon undid the bandages, whistling. _

_ “Whoever did this did a great job. I’ll have to thank Hyrule for that then.” _

_ Time raked his tongue over his teeth as he considered. “It- it was Wild, actually.” _

_ He wasn’t looking at her but he could feel her hands stop moving and the sadness and regret in her response. _

_ “Oh.” _

_ Because It doesn’t matter what happens to me, as long as your ok. _

_ Time grit his teeth, remembering the words. It wasn’t right. It was something the 12-year-old boy trained to be a soldier would say, not Link, not Wild. It wasn’t what the little boy who sometimes trudged to the top of the hill Time sat on some nights to talk about his fears, his future, what it took to be a hero still believed in._

_ The bandages were quickly replaced after Malon dabbed alcohol on his wound. He bit back a grunt of pain. _

_ “It’s great to see him again.” The smile in her voice was obvious. “It’s really... really great to see who he’s become.” _

_ Time wanted to march outside and have a rather forceful word with the goddess and whoever was taking care of him after he left. But he couldn’t reverse time, not this round, and if Time were being honest with himself, then he wouldn’t change anything about Wild. He was great; kind, courageous, intelligent, and resourceful in ways Time could never dream of. And while he wished so desperately that he could take away his nightmares, let the boy rest a full night for once, Time couldn’t help but smile. _

_ He was proud of him. _

━━━O━━━

Wild stared at the door. Malon had practically goaded him into going inside. Well, she didn’t actually do or say anything that directly stated he could go in or he should, but she did mention the locked room at the end of the hall that no one was allowed to go in, but her eyes flicked to Wild as she directed the group. So he obviously had to go see what was inside. With one last breath, he pushed open the door and stepped in.

It was... empty. Compared to the rest of the very lived-in house, filled with the casual clutter that made it feel comfortable, the room was devoid of everything but a few things decorating the walls. He took a few tentative steps inside, stopping when he heard a few shouts. Legend, no doubt, he thought and snorted. Wild fully walked in, spotting a faded blue cap hanging on the wall (that looked oddly familiar the more he looked at it), plushies sitting on the bed, and paintings of a night sky hung up. They were quite beautiful, with broad, thick strokes depicting a slowly lightening sky, stars dotting the top.

“Not my best piece, but I knew you liked it anyway,” Time said from behind. Wild stopped himself from jumping, waiting for the man to walk to his side. “Do you like the room?”

Wild nodded sheepishly and stretched the back of his head. ‘ _Sorry. I wasn’t supposed to come in, was I?_ ’

Time paused. Wild noticed he had a book in his hand. “This home is yours, Wild, you can go wherever you please. Including, and especially, this room.”

Wild quirked an eyebrow at that last line but said nothing. 

“Not much to see in there except some old clothes and books,” Time mumbled and Wild wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear that. “There are far more memorable places on the ranch.”

‘Like?’ he signed, unable to help his curiosity. Time’s lips twitched like he was about to smile and Wild nearly felt the swell of satisfaction every time he saw the older man show a glimpse of happiness. 

“Follow me.”

He turned on his heel and Wild walked behind him, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. It felt... right, to follow Time, looking up at him. He bit back a smile, but couldn’t stop the skip in his step. He led Wild out of the house, to the enclosed area. The rest of the group had retreated inside, waiting for Malon to bring them food. The two walked to the stone tower at the far corner, standing brightly in the fading sunlight.

The pair walked up the stairs to a small room with boxes scattered about and a chair in the corner. A window let in streams of light, and the two stepped in front of it and looked out over the ranch. Wild gazed out the window at the surrounding hills that flanked the ranch. The sun was starting to hide behind them, making his shadow long against the walls of the room. Dusk, his brain provided, conjuring up images of sitting atop a mountain beside an oversized wolf, an even more distant memory of settled between two people, warmth pressing on both sides. The sunlight, while weak, still felt good against his face. He closed his eyes and felt the nostalgia wash over him.

“You like the view?”

Wild grinned. ‘ _It’s gorgeous, reminds me of home_.’

“I figured it would. I remembered you liked abandoning us in the middle of the night when we were in Hateno to hike up the hill of that tech lab.”

Wild shrugged casually. ‘ _Best place to catch the sunrise_.’

“You didn’t even bother leaving a note.”

‘ _Didn’t really think you needed one. We’re all heroes, we can handle ourselve_ s.’

“Hyrule almost burned down the house.”

Wild flinched and grimaced. ‘ _Yea..._ ’

“And he somehow created a new species of chuchu out of mushrooms.”

The champion rolled his eyes behind his eyelids in playful exasperation. ‘ _Fine. Point made_.'

A comfortable silence settled over the two. The more Wild thought about it, the more he realized this was the first intimate moment the two had together. Well, the second if he counted that talk in the canyon, but that was far too tense and uncomfortable for Wild to consider it. This was just that, and somehow Wild didn’t feel awkward or nervous as he usually did in other social situations. He was just calm. He felt... safe.

“Do you ever feel a strange...” Time trailed off, making a slightly amused face as he reconsidered his words. “What do you remember?”

Wild lifted his hands. It wasn’t an easy question, but he’s answered it enough times to have an automatic response. And it didn’t involve crying, for once.

‘Not much. Snippets, really, of before... everything. Just 12- or 13 memories Zelda left for me. And a few extras, with the champions. But outside of that, outside of them, nothing but what others have told me.’ He opened his eyes at the realization. He’d never noticed it, but he doesn’t actually have any memories of his own. Just what Zelda had given him, what she wanted him to see. It stung more than he was willing to admit. Time sighed, as he often did, but it was different this time. It sounded more... pained.

“I had- have a son. He’s... he left, a long time ago.” If Wild didn’t know better, he’d have said Time’s voice shook. And Wild didn’t know better. “And every day without him hurt a little more than the last. I have you all, and eventually, the pain subsided enough that I could ignore it. But...”

‘ _It will never go away_.’

Time nodded. “Or at least I thought it wouldn’t.”

_ The sunrise was amazing. Link didn't think he'd ever seen anything like or ever would again. His heart somehow settled and for the first time that morning, he was calm. It wasn't that he didn't miss his home. He did, of course. But the harsh words from his commanding officer, the soreness of his muscles from the constant training, the fear of disappointing his father, it all vanished. He didn't even want to blink, even though it was hard to keep back his tears otherwise. An easy hand landed on his shoulder. Link managed to stop himself from flinching back. He looked up at the older man. Time smiled. Link wasn't sure if he even wanted to leave anymore. _

Wild felt his heart stutter in line with the feeling from the memory. ‘ _What- what changed?_ ’

“A lot actually. 5 years passed, Malon and I settled into a groove, I got dragged into another adventure that was way more complicated than my last. And yet, that wasn’t what changed for me. It was something else or someone.”

‘ _Who_?’

Time said nothing, but the look on his face told Wild everything he needed to know. And when he laughed and ruffled Wild’s hair, just like he used to, Wild was unable to sign or speak or do anything but stare at the man.

“You did.”

━━━O━━━

_ They waved goodbye to Malon and walked into the woods, their destination being... somewhere (they never actually knew where they were heading, Time usually just lead the group off in a random direction that felt right based on his gut). Time of course led the group, walking side by side with Sky since his pup was busy carrying Warriors who somehow managed to sprain his ankle chasing down Legend. The Chosen Hero’s feet which usually dragged like he was sleepwalking seemed to be especially limp today. Time considered himself to be a patient man, but his constant yawning was grating slowly, very slowly on his nerves. _

_ “Sky, if you’re that tired we can stop for a bit so you can take a nap."_

_ Sky just looked at him with his usual sleepy smile and shook his head. _

_ “It’s alright. Just tired after helping Wild-“ his mouth snapped shut suddenly, face suddenly very sly. Time narrowed his eyes, glancing between Wild who was looking very dangerous with a fire rod, and the other two troublemakers by his side, and Sky. _

_ “Sky...” he began. He knew the Chosen Hero was easy to crack. It was just a matter of- _

_ “Alright alright,” Sky said, throwing his hands in the air. “I helped Wild find some paper and write something last night. Said he couldn’t sleep until he did. He had me leave one for Malon and the other...” Sky stopped himself, grinning from ear to ear. _

_ “Hm, I can guess.” Time unclipped his bag and peeked in, finding an envelope reading “Time” in surprisingly eloquent font. _

_ “Open it later, when he’s not awake,” Sky said. “I think he’d be embarrassed if you opened it now.” _

_ Time nodded. “Later, then.” _

_ ~ _

_ Time sat at the edge of the pier, looking at the others as they slept in a heap, Warriors and Twi at the bottom, Four and Wind on the top. The corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile. Time reached into his bag and pulled out the letter, carefully opening the envelope and pulling out the piece of paper. He made sure the others were asleep and quickly conjured a small ball of Din’s Flame in his palm, keeping it safely away from the paper as he read._

_.... _

_ Dear Time, _

_~~ If you're reading this letter, then I regret to inform you but I’ve accidentally burned down the woods. My bad. ~~ _

_ Please ignore the writing above, I’m reusing this paper. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you, for... sticking around. I woke up with absolutely nothing to my name, not even my name, and not many people stuck around when they found out who I was. Especially not the people who I knew before. Only a few did, Sidon, Purah, the Great Deku Tree (I don’t think he counts). But... not many. _

_ The point is your the exception, not the norm, and you're one of the best people I know. I’m not good with words and I’m not a poet, but I just thought that maybe, one day when I finally remember, I promise I’ll visit. I don’t care if I have to fight Ganon three times over with a soup ladle, I’ll come back. I always will, because you did. For me. _

_ I’ll remember, no matter what. And when I do, I’ll never forget. _

_ ~Link, or Wild _

_.... _

_ Time set down the paper and looked up after quickly wiping his eyes. The stars again, the same no matter what Hyrule they crash-landed in. He pulled out his sketchbook, flipping to the last page he painted the night before he left. The stars were the same, but the sky never was, and it never will be. He turned the page over and began writing. _

_ For, Link. From Time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of purposefully wrote Wild a little different here than how I usually see others write him because as much as I love his memory angst and stuff, I kind of wanted him to not break down every time he remembers something, especially since he has a few scattered memories here. And I kind of made him a little more... prickly?? I don't know how to describe it, but I feel like he's more like Legend in this. I mean, he's 17 (117, whatever) so I'd expect him to be a little rebellious, kind of short-tempered and irritable, but not on the level of the veteran. Basically, I just wanted him to act a little more like a teenager.
> 
> ok, enough of the paragraph. Thanks for reading, see you next time :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There and back again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random word generator gave me 'golden', but I wasn't really feeling it. I somehow found inspiration in The Hobbit?? Don't know how but the little subtitle really helped me write this. Oh, and this chapter was inspired by 'Sincerely, Link' by joyandbooks who had the brilliant idea of just a letter Wild writes to Time. It's pretty short, but you know how much I love letters, so I hope you check it out.
> 
> Ok, last chapter, endings and epilogues. A little more bittersweet than before. Let’s do this :)

They stood in front of the portal. Portals. Two, to be exact.

"This is it, then," Time whispered. The others had already left, leaving behind hugs and momentos of their time together. Wild looked down at his hands. Twi's fur pelt, a spare ocarina Legend had, a feather from Sky's loftwing. He quickly stuffed the items into his Slate, feeling the tears come dangerously close to spilling over the more he looked at them. He blinked hard and dug his nails into his palms, focusing on the light pain rather than his feelings. It didn't get easier.

"Wild."

He looked up and met Time's gaze. The world quickly grew blurry. Time smiled fondly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We've got to go."

Wild shook his head, feeling like a petulant child. ' _I won't_. '

"You have to. We both do."

_' Can't I... come with you ?'_

He felt Time's hand stiffen slightly at the suggestion.

' _I can come with you. If we walk through the same portal, then we'll both end up back on Lon Lon. I can send the Slate back to Zelda through the mail, I think the mailman can take it... '_

"Wild."

_' I can stay in the spare room and help out around the ranch with whatever you need. Or join the royal guard again, it doesn't really matter.. .'_

"Wild."

_' Zelda will be fine. Hyrule will be fine. They've dealt with a hundred years of Ganon without me. And I think a few more decades would be alright. They'll get along just- '_

_ "Link."  _

Wild's hands stopped. He didn't even realize how much he'd been shaking, and his face was suddenly wet and warm. He touched his cheek. He was crying. But he wasn't supposed to cry. He was far too old to be acting that way. And it wasn't like the world was ending or he was dying (again), he was just saying goodbye to the one person he never wanted to leave again. He was just saying goodbye forever to the only person he could ever call his father-

Time's arms wrapped around him as soon as he began to sob. They tightened, pulling him in, warmly. It felt good, Wild thought. It hurt a little less when Time held him close.

"I know you don't want to leave, but you must."

Wild shook his head and tried to breathe but choked on air every time. "I-I can't. Not again."

"You have to." Even though Time's voice was firm, Wild could hear the emotion seeping through the cracks.

"And w-what if I forget again?"

Time fell silent, and for the brief moment he didn't speak, Wild had thought his fears were coming true. Time would leave him like everyone always did, and Wild would forget. He'd forget everything and everyone all over again. He'd open his eyes with no memories again and have to find them.

"You won't," Time whispered.

"H-how do y-you know?"

The older man's voice never wavered, always strong and steady. And strangely hopeful. "As long as you have a home, you'll never forget your way back." He sighed. "And you'll always have a home, Wild."

Wild bit his lip and looked up, trying to keep the tears back. Time pulled away and brushed a hand gently across his cheek, cleaning his face. Wild thought his eye looked a little red.

'I'll be back ,' Wild signed, hands barely able to stay steady enough for Time to read. Time smiled and leaned his forehead against Wild’s for a moment before drawing back completely.

"Malon and I will be waiting. And for when you do," he reached inside his pack and pull out the small leather sketchbook Wild had seen him painting him during their adventure. Time passed it to the champion. "Just to help you when you return."

Wild handled the book like it was made of glass and quickly put it away. Time gave him one last, long look before turning to one of the portals.

"I love you, Link."

Wild watched his form fade into the portal before the entire spiraling figure disappeared. He inhaled and walked through.

"I love you too."

  
━━━ O ━━━  


_ "I'm back." _

_ Malon felt her excitement grow and relief wash over her as she heard his voice. She quickly set down the basket she'd been weaving and raced to the front door to greet... _

_ "Link?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Where are the others?" _

_ He chuckled breathlessly and shook his head. "Gone." _

_ Malon gasped and her eyes widened in horror. "N-no, you can't mean-" _

_ "No no, not like that," he said quickly. He ran a hand through his hair. "I mean it's over. They went back to their own Hyrules. Our adventure is finished." _

_ "Oh." She leaned forward and hugged him. "I- I'm glad you all made it through." She led him to the kitchen, putting a pot of milk on the stove and setting it to simmer, adding vanilla and sugar. She glanced over her shoulder at Link, who was rifling through his bag for something. _

_ "What did they all say before they left?" Malon asked lightly. He grunted. _

_ "Different things. Four and the colors each gave individual farewells, Wind showed me a bag of rupees he stole from the Queen before he jumped through," she could hear the smile in his voice. "Warriors... I gave him a picture of me. I think he almost cried when I gave it to him. Sky apologized even if he really didn't need to. So did Hyrule. Legend actually hugged me and gave me one of his medallions. Twilight made me make a promise." _

_ "And Wild?" _

_ He fell silent. The only sound in the kitchen for a few moments was Malon's wooden spoon quietly tapping on the inside of the pot. She gazed at the oven mitt hanging on the wall. It had her name embroidered on it, expertly done by Legend after Wild and Hyrule broke her pot collection. She smiled. _

_ "He said he'd come home." Malon turned around and saw her husband smiling wistfully at a letter in his hands. "And I promised we'd wait." _

_ Not that they had to promise, she'd wait a hundred years if it meant he'd come back. She poured the milk into two glasses and set them on the table. Link sipped his cautiously while Malon pushed her from hand to hand. _

_ “It’s quiet,” she said. Link hummed in agreement. “It’s been a while.” _

_ He grabbed her hand and his gaze flicked to the empty third chair. “It has.” _

━━━ O ━━━

Zelda gripped his hand a little tighter as they approached the ruins. They were bright in the afternoon sun, clouds moving lazily overhead, horses grazing on the nearby grass.

“Are you sure you don’t need me with you?” She asked for the millionth time that day.“I really don’t mind.”

Link huffed, shooting her a slightly irritated look. She held up her hands in protest and backed away.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting with the horses then. Just...” she trailed off and turned away. “Call me, if anything. I’ll be there.”

He looked back at the ruins and stepped forward. It was frankly incredible there even were ruins of the ranch, considering how long he thinks it’s been. Link doesn’t actually know the amount of time that’s stretched between when the actual buildings existed and the Calamity, but he reckons it's been far longer than he could comprehend. The layout is the same as he remembers and if he closes his- no, he doesn’t even need to do that to hear 8 voices calling his name in exasperation for something stupid he did.

A pirate goading him on, a traveler apprehensively watching but willing to join in at the drop of a hat, the veteran placing bets with the captain and smith, the ranch hand (mentor, he thinks with a smile) rubbing his temples in irritation, the chosen one sleeping somewhere. The old man (his old man) watching them all. And the one soothing voice calling them in with a smile in her voice. If he listens too long he can feel the tears springing to his eyes. He blinks them back and looks down at the paper he’s holding. Now's not the time for that.

His feet carried him to his destination faster than he thought they would. The middle of the enclosed area, weeds overgrown and wild horses watching nervously. Link glanced around him, taking it in, imagining what was once there, before looking back at the reason he came. Bright oranges and yellows painted the sky and ground, making the whole thing surreal. But he could still feel it, the tugging in his mind, and he let it overcome him.

━━━ O ━━━

_ “Hm, this won’t do,” he whispered under his breath, tearing the sheet out of the book and tossing it over his shoulder. Link watched it roll away, eventually into Malon’s hand. _

_ “Don’t just throw it anywhere,” she admonished, lightly pushing her husband’s shoulder. Time smiled and waved his hand, still scribbling on the paper. Link desperately wants to know what he’s drawing but can’t bring himself to ask. He’s not supposed to ask too many questions, even though Time said it was ok. _

_ “It’s a painting,” Time says, unprompted. Link looks at him, trying to catch his eye, but he never looked up from the paper, only grinning knowingly. “For Malon. And one for you.” _

_ Malon, seemingly being summoned by her name, set down the tray filled with cups and snacks on the blanket and leaned back. _

_ “Ooo, one for me? I can’t wait to see it, you never paint for me anymore.” _

_ “Because I’m always home.” _

_ She rolled her eyes lovingly and met Link’s gaze. “Doesn’t hurt to still want a pen pal.” _

_ Link bit back a chuckle. Malon’s hand reached out for his, turning it over to show him her palm. He placed his inside of it, smiling at the warmth from both his hand and in his chest. Malon’s smile impossibly appeared to widen, and it was infectious. Link soon found himself wearing the same expression. She closed her eyes and sang, a song that was simple and easy and made Link feel... safe._

_ “Link.” _

_ He looked up and saw Time leaning back on his hands, watching the distance with a faraway look. Not bad, just... distant. _

_ “What will you do when you leave?” _

_ Link blinked. Once, then twice, and found himself unable to comprehend what he just heard. _

_ ‘Leave?’ Time nods. ‘Why would I...’ _

_ He didn't finish, because he knew why. The same reason why he sometimes stumbled into Time and Malon’s room in the middle of the night, unable to sleep without feeling like he left his sister behind and was falling apart because of it. The same reason why when he met the Zora princess, he couldn’t even sign his own name. Same reason why the queen terrified him, even if she was nothing like his own king. And most nights, he couldn’t open the door to his closet and see the scabbard of the sword he was chosen to wield. To defeat the Calamity with. _

_ ‘Do I have to leave?’ _

_ It was a simple question, one he already knew the answer to. He still didn’t want to believe it. _

_ “Time passes, people move, and like a river’s flow...” Time smiled and ran a hand brought his hair. He turned to Link, the look in his eye gone, replaced with a bit of humor. “Now I’m sounding a lot like them.” _

_ The question of who exactly ‘them’ went unanswered. Link looked down. _

_ ‘I don’t want to leave.’ _

_ “You do, Link. You have to.” _

_ ‘But it won't be the same. I'll be back with my commanding officer and...' He didn't know what to call the man anymore. He wasn't his father, he already had one who was sitting right next to him. Link clenched his fist and continued. 'I'll miss you.’ _

_ That gave Time pause. Link still didn't meet his gaze. He heard him shift closer to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. _

_ “I'll miss you too. Time is... never kind, but that doesn’t change your memories of the past. Just because you might forget doesn’t mean you’ll never remember. Like everything else, it takes, well, time.” _

_ Link finally turned his head up and saw Time grinning sadly. Heat built behind his eyes. _

_ ‘And you’ll remember me?’ _

_ He’s dragged into his father’s side and finally let the tears fall. _

_ “How could I ever forget?” _

━━━ O ━━━

Zelda’s eyes were drifting closed when she heard it. A broken, sobbing sound. She quickly jumped to her feet and stumbled over to where Link was standing, head in his hands. She stepped over to him, walking slowly and carefully, making herself heard so she wouldn’t spook him.

“Link?”

“Y-yeah?” He stuttered, voice cracking. He sucked on a sharp breath and quickly wiped his eyes, meeting her concerned gaze with a watery smile.

“Did you... remember?” She reached out for his hand. He placed one in hers and squeezed. He nodded. “Are you ok?”

He looked out over the ruins, eyes landing on the crumbled tower. 

_ ‘I’m... I will be. Eventually.’ _

She followed his gaze and stared at the ruins with him. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Link chuckled quietly as he flipped the pages to land on Time’s letter. _‘Yea. I made it back home.’_

━━━ O ━━━

_ For, Link. From Time. _

_ I often sit on the hill beside the ranch, late at night, and watch the stars and moon move across the sky. And when morning comes and the world rises with the sun, I paint what I see. I'm not the greatest at it, nowhere near Sky or Twilight's level, but I try. The sky is never the same but at least the stars are.  _

_ Have you been to the top of the tower alone? I know I took you there plenty of times, but sometimes I'd sneak out of the room when you and Malon finally fell asleep and painted at the desk. It's nice up there if you've never been. You spent most of your adventure without a companion, right? I'm sure you sometimes want a moment of silence. I think you should head up the tower in the morning. I promise it'll meet your expectations. _

_ The ranch will be quieter once this is all over. I know none of you want this to end, and Hylia knows I don’t either, but it will. But right now, I’m having a hard time focusing with Wind screaming outside. I can only hope that you guys haven’t burned down the barn. _

_ I don’t suppose this is goodbye. Time never really flowed properly around me, or any of us for that matter. This is more of a keepsake, I guess, for you. Something to look back at when your old and grey. To remember me by. But I’m sure you won’t need this.  _

_ I guess I’ll see you soon. No need for farewells. _

━━━ O ━━━

Zelda let out a soft curse as she cut her finger with the knife. She grabbed a napkin and wrapped it around the small cut, huffing in frustration. Link’s hands moved the paper away and put a small bandage on it. He smiled at her mockingly.

“Oh can it, will you?” She said in playful annoyance. “I was never taught how to cook. Or wield a knife, so forgive me for my ineptitude.”

Link shrugged and turned back to the herbs he’d been chopping. He not so discreetly took Zelda’s knife too. The princess rolled her eyes and went to the table, plopping her head on the wood and watching her knight work his magic. The small house smelled delicious and she couldn’t help but sigh in pleasure. 

“You must be the best cook in all of Hyrule,” she praised. 

_ ‘I had an amazing teacher.’ _

“Now I’d like to know, who was it?”

His hands made the sign for horse and singing, which Zelda didn’t understand, assuming it was a name, but didn’t bother asking further. Probably someone he met along the way. Her gaze fell on an envelope that was closed neatly on the edge of the table. She inched closer to it and read “Link, Lon Lon Ranch”. 

“You’re sending a letter?”

Link hummed. Zelda raised an eyebrow even though she knew he couldn’t see it with his full attention on their dinner.

“You do know the mailman only comes to Hateno once a month, right?”

He stiffened slightly and shook his head slowly. Zelda looked out the window where the mailman was hiking up the hill to Purah’s lab, the last stop on his journey in the small village,

“He’s about to leave now, so if you can catch him, you might be able to-“

Link practically flew across the house, snatching the letter from the table and racing outside and up the hill, with stamina she’d only seen from him once in the desert against the Yiga. His small form reached the mailman at the top of the hill, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and handing it over. It was taken carefully and they shared a short salute before Link started making his way back down.

“He's a handful,” Zelda mumbled with a smile. The faint sound of bubbling suddenly grew too loud to ignore. She saw the pot Link had been tending to was starting to boil over. She quickly got to her feet and tried to stop the meal from being ruined, but she somehow managed to make the water burst into flames. Link’s house was only spared when the champion came back in and quickly threw the contents of the pot out onto the grass.

“Sorry,” Zelda said sheepishly. Link gave her an amused look before setting the pot back down and starting on it (again). “The letter was from one of your companions on your last adventure, right?”

He nodded, pouring cream into the pot.

“How will the letter get to him?”

Link thought for a moment before shrugging. _‘Hylia, I guess.’_

Zelda grinned, closing her eyes and listening to Link hum a song that reminded her of horses. 

“It’s good to be back.”

━━━ O ━━━

_ Dear Time, _

_ I visited the ranch this week. It’s not... the same, as before, but everything is still in kind of the same place. I couldn’t go up the tower, but I sat on that hill. The one you wrote about. It was beautiful. I could see the castle and most of Hyrule field from there. I can see why you always sat there. And your right, the ranch is a lot quieter now. Well, my Hyrule as a whole is quiet, and sometimes I miss everyone’s voices. Even Wars and Leg’s constant bickering. But at least I remember the sound of it.  _

_ I had a memory, at the ranch. We were sitting somewhere, you were painting something, Malon was singing. I hope I can find more of those. I want to remember everything. Zelda tells me stories of before every night. She tells me everything she knew about me. I had a sister, you know. I feel like I can remember her name. It’s on the tip of my tongue, but my brain never can finish it.  _

_ Apparently, I never told her about my time on the ranch, so she can’t help me with that, but I think I can do it myself. Your sketchbook helped a lot. Every time I flip a page, I can feel something in my mind stir. I’ll let you know next time I remember something. _

_ I hope everything’s good at the ranch. Tell Malon I say hi. I wish I could’ve spoken to her one more time before I left. I’ll have to write her a letter too. I think she’d like that. I hope to hear from you soon. _

_ ~Link _

_ PS— I found an outfit that I think used to belong to you. If it did, I can see why you hate wearing hats. _

* * *

** EPILOGUE **

................

Link readjusted the strap on his belt and fiddled with the leather adjustments on his tunic. Zelda was marching ahead of him, scribbling notes as she somehow walked gracefully through the village.

“But the Calamity first emerged from the castle, which means that the source of its power must be below or within it.” Link caught her cloak that’d flown off her shoulders as she walked. “There is a system of caverns below the castle that have remained unexplored. Perhaps there, we might find something...”

Link watched the village wake up. Hateno had always been a sleepy town, but the residents always seemed to wake up at first light. Ivee was the first to greet him with her usual wave and smile.

“Morning Link! Great weather huh?” Link waved back. “No wonder the mailman stopped by, perfect weather for deliveries.”

Link froze in place. It was mail day. He tapped Zelda on the shoulder, prompting her to turn abruptly.

“Yes?”

_ ‘It’s mail day.’ _

She made a confused face. “I don’t see what that has to do with- oh! Well then let’s go back home and see if you have any.”

Link nodded excitedly and immediately sprinted to his house, ignoring Zelda’s calls for him to slow down. He slammed the door opened and gulped in breaths as he came to a stop. He crouched down to the placemat where a small pile of letters had been left and picked them up. He sat at the table and shuffled through each one slowly, reading the addresses very carefully. Zelda came stumbling in, panting with her hand in the doorframe for support.

“Link,” she breathed. “Don’t... run like... that.”

He smiled but stopped when he saw it. Link pushed aside the other mail and held the envelope in his hands. Zelda sat beside him and peeked at it.

“Are you ready to open it?”

He bit his lip and nodded, blinking hard. 

_ ‘I am.’ _

He took one last breath before opening the letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!! Wooo! Ok, few things before I wrap this up.
> 
> I loved writing this and it honestly could've gone on forever because I have a hundred different ideas, but everything must come to an end. And honestly, writing endings is my favorite part of the process, and this was definitely the chapter I had the easiest time with. It is shorter than the other two (those were 5,000 ish words, this one is 3,000 ish, so not really saying much), but I don’t know my hands just kind of spilled my thoughts. And letters are my jam, my motif, my favorite troupe that I love including. Gosh their just so poignant, I Love❤️
> 
> So yea, thanks a ton for sticking around this far and I really hope you enjoyed it because that's my goal :) And I think that's all!  
> Till next time...


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